Electronic devices are often associated with a touchscreen display and one or more sensors such as, for example, orientation sensor. By way of example, an electronic device may include a touchscreen display, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.
The inclusion of orientation sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, may allow the electronic device to perform any one of a number of orientation-dependent functions which would be difficult or impossible for the electronic device to perform without such sensors. For example, a display orientation may toggle between a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation depending on the physical orientation of the electronic device.
While the inclusion of sensors on an electronic device permits a number enhanced functions to be performed on the electronic device, the inclusion of such sensors may also result in a security vulnerability. More specifically, such sensors may be used to eavesdrop on touchscreen activity. That is, on touchscreen-based electronic devices having orientation sensors, it may be possible to analyze data from the orientation sensors to determine touchscreen activity. For example, using gyroscope and accelerometer data, it is possible to determine, with a high degree of accuracy, the location on a touchscreen display that is being activated. Since the gyroscope and accelerometer data may be used to determine the location of a touchscreen input, a key-logger could, for example, be deployed surreptitiously. That is, current electronic devices may be susceptible to a virus which determines a location of a touch-screen input and maps that location to known locations of letters associated with a virtual keyboard to log keystrokes.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.